No plain Jane: See this beauty on the Cabbagetown house tour

Three-forty Carlton Street is an 1887 bay-and-gable gem that’s had lots of changes, but none done as lovingly as by its new owners, Jane Renwick and Kaley O’Neill, who have transformed this great example of Victorian two-colour brickwork from shabby to chic.

“We closed the deal May 2011, and then found that because of structural problems, poor insulation, inadequate and older electrical, and only one bathroom, building our dream home was going to be much more involved than we expected,” says Ms. Renwick, a real estate marketing consultant and homemaker for two-year-old son, Brady, and eight-year-old peppy poodle Leroy.

But the final finishes on this three-storey stunner will be done by the time it’s showcased in the Cabbagetown Tour of Homes tomorrow (Sept. 15).

“The house underwent some minor renos in the 1970s [based on a newspaper we found in one of the walls], and it has definitely had a few other cosmetic updates over the years, but we basically had to entirely gut it,” Mr. O’Neill says. “We think this was originally a worker’s home for one of the local factories, but that’s all we know about its history.”

The style of their house can be described as comfy contemporary. Modern, yes, but the owners have kept some elements of the original house such as the stairs and the vestibule, crown mouldings and some stained glass. Some original studs were used to build the fireplace mantel on the second floor.

Many delightful curios, objets d’art and family heirlooms complete the house and give it a personal feel: An antique apple tree ladder in the family room on the second floor, a late-19th-century violin, an African ostrich egg encased in glass and set atop a working Heintzman square grand piano in the living room. The 1885 Brazilian rosewood piano, a rare example of true artisan’s craft and seemingly made to fit by the bay window, provides a visual anchor to the space. It’s a favourite heirloom for Ms. Renwick. “My mother bought it about 30 years ago and we all took piano lessons on it as children, so it’s a symbol of family and continuity. It’s also a great conversation piece.”

The hardwoods throughout the home are African acacia, a dark brown heartwood tinged with vibrant reddish orange and accented with light yellows. “We spent two months in Africa, and our floors, as well as that large ostrich egg, are reminders of our fabulous times in that continent,” Mr. O’Neill says. Ms. Renwick points out acacia’s durability (it’s harder than red oak), scratch-resistance and reasonable price tag.

“Most of the items in our house have deep personal meaning to us,” she says. “They’ve either been passed down as family heirlooms, like the piano, violin or our dining room set, or are photographs or souvenirs from our trips, or pictures painted by my sister or Kaley’s grandmother. We’re now at a stage where we’ve collected enough experiences for our house to be authentically us.”

Every wall in the house, except Brady’s bedroom, is painted in the same shade of grey. “We created a custom shade of light grey because we wanted to unify the colour scheme throughout the house to give the illusion of space,” Mr. O’Neill says. With an open-concept first floor, and parts of the second (the family room and entertainment centre), and an open-plan third-floor master bedroom, using one colour helps to create flow. “It’s also an elegant, fresh look,” he says.

Exterior freshening involved pulling down ivy clinging to the walls, repointing brickwork and the installation of a “living” parking pad that incorporates fragrant creeping thyme embedded within the concrete grid of Turfstone pavement. “Thyme is a hardy plant that allows us to have additional greenspace,” Mr. O’Neill says. They also replaced the old decking with grass and patio stones.

A must-have was the third-floor master. “[Three-forty] Carlton was 2,002 square feet when we purchased it,” says Ms. Renwick. “After going to the Committee of Adjustment, we were granted approval, with support from neighbours, Heritage Preservation Services, the local councillor’s office and the Planning Department, to increase the floor area to 2,250 square feet, which meant we could convert dead space into a skylit, livable area.”

To do that, the homeowners enlisted Toronto architect Michael Cicerani and a structural engineer to raise the two peaked roofs of the original design to create one flat roof. “By doing this, we are able to maintain the same footprint and make use of area that was previously attic space under the slanted roofs,” Ms. Renwick says. They also added a bathroom, walk-in closet and fourth bedroom/office to the third floor.

The couple claims they enjoyed working with HPS, and appreciate the aesthetic of living in a Heritage District. “But seeking the proper approvals … is definitely time consuming,” Mr. O’Neill says with a sigh.

Despite challenges, you know you’re in for a special Victorian treat when you realize the owners of this house embrace having a fire hydrant as a focal point of their front garden. “We landscaped the garden with yellow roses to ‘match’ the hydrant,” Ms. Renwick says. Boxwoods border the tiny garden, which, despite its size, includes yew shrubs, Japanese maple, hydrangeas and a butterfly bush. “A definite butterfly and hummingbird magnet,” Ms. Renwick says.

The 35th Cabbagetown Tour of Homes, which attracts about 700 visitors each year, is the main fundraising event of the Cabbagetown Preservation Association. Doors and gardens are open Sept. 15 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. See cabbagetownpa.ca for ticket sales.